The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Industry, will be representing Canada at the Mobile World Congress 2013 in Barcelona, Spain from February 24 to 26, 2013. The Minister will promote Canada as an attractive destination for foreign investment, champion the world-class capabilities of Canadian companies and underscore the concrete actions that the Harper Government has taken to position Canada as a leading digital economy.

“Thanks to our low tax plan for jobs and growth, solid fiscal framework, investments in R&D and highly skilled workforce, Canada is a premier place to do business,” said Minister Paradis. “Canada is a global leader in information and communications technologies, and our government will continue to support the creation of high-quality jobs through investments in education, training, and basic and applied research.”

Canada is a leader in wireless telecommunications equipment, mobile and gaming software development, and business analytics. It is home to a quarter of North America’s fastest-growing wireless companies and six internationally competitive ICT regional clusters. In 2011, the sector comprised 33,500 firms that contributed $62.7 billion to our GDP (4.9 percent), had over $168 billion in revenues and employed more than 550,000 people, representing 3.2 percent of national employment. In 2011, the ICT sector performed 34 percent of all private sector R&D and, since 2002, has grown by 39 percent compared to the national average of 18 percent.

“Our government has taken concrete action since 2008 to position Canada as a leader in the global digital economy including launching two new spectrum auctions, which will facilitate at least four wireless providers across the country obtaining spectrum; removing restrictions on foreign investment in the telecommunications sector; and building a world-leading legal framework to support a growing and changing economy,” added the Minister.

Minister Paradis will be joined by Canadian companies and representatives from the provincial governments of Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and those in the Atlantic region in opening the Canada pavilion on the show floor on Monday, February 25. The Minister will also speak at the “Connect with Canada” breakfast on Tuesday, February 26, at which hundreds of Canadian and international companies are expected.